austraLasia #2473
De Sales and Social Media
ROME (or should it be THORON?): 7th August 2009 -- While there is a lull in receiving news from around the region it may be worth drawing attention to an anniversary. Don't worry, it's not a 150th and not quite a 500th! I refer to the birthday of St Francis de Sales on 21st August 1567. We will draw attention to this principal Patron of ours, and after whom we are named (C. 4, 8) on sdb.org via a FOCUS to be published on 15th and which will be available until the end of the month. The photographic work for this Focus is the result of a member of our Region, Bro Hilario Seo from Korea.
But I would like to draw particular attention to a letter Francis wrote on 25th January 1595, to the councillors in Thoron, the 'capital' of the Chablais region. A few months earlier the Calvinist political authority in the city had made the decision that anyone who listened to Francis' preaching would be severely punished. Francis' letter in January 1595 simply said: "Gentlemen, I have been preaching the word of God for some time now in your city. Your people can hear me only seldom and then only partially and in secret. For my part, in order not to overlook anything, I have seen to it that some of the more important fundamentals have been written down, fundamentals that I had chosen as the main theme of my sermons and talks in defense of the faith of the Church", and with that he set about producing 85 pamphlets which he posted at people's doors, or distributed through coffee houses and other public places.
Texts that I have read have placed the beginning of 'social media' as we know it today as 1776, when Thomas Paine, an English emigrant to the American colonies wrote an influential pamphlet called 'Common Sense'; in many ways he could be responsible for American independence and a nation-wide government structure. But there is little doubt that, as influential as 'Common Sense' was, Francis de Sales 'Controversies' predate Paine's 'Common Sense' by a long shot, and with more instant results. By 1598 the Duke of Savoy had written to the Papal Nuncio noting that in all the Chablais there was 'now no village or hamlet that was not Catholic'!
We Salesians, with the added support of a later pamphleteer of note (Don Bosco's 'Catholic Readings' were published as monthly pamphlets) have social media in our blood! Social media takes many forms, no need to list them all here - they are well known. And 'austraLasia' is part of the range of possibilities too.
Benedict XVI's term, 'digital continent', was either divinely inspired he was extremely well-advised, but he got in before John Blossom published his [[Content Nation]] (and yes, the square brackets are part of the title). There is little chance that the two were ever chatting about the subject! Blossom works out that if 27% of people who use social media do so to influence other people - his statistics are based on authoritative studies and polls - that would make a 'nation' that would fall in the top 10 most populated nations in the world!
All good reasons, from our own Salesian pedigree to a Papal shove forward, not to slacken our efforts, ever. And you may wish to comment on this item on one of our own EAO social media efforts to keep the conversation moving!
Click here to comment on this item, or here to assist with Glossary. You will need to enter 20eao02 when asked for a password.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2473
Subject and key words: EAO General Social Media
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2473
De Sales and Social Media
ROME (or should it be THORON?): 7th August 2009 -- While there is a lull in receiving news from around the region it may be worth drawing attention to an anniversary. Don't worry, it's not a 150th and not quite a 500th! I refer to the birthday of St Francis de Sales on 21st August 1567. We will draw attention to this principal Patron of ours, and after whom we are named (C. 4, 8) on sdb.org via a FOCUS to be published on 15th and which will be available until the end of the month. The photographic work for this Focus is the result of a member of our Region, Bro Hilario Seo from Korea.
But I would like to draw particular attention to a letter Francis wrote on 25th January 1595, to the councillors in Thoron, the 'capital' of the Chablais region. A few months earlier the Calvinist political authority in the city had made the decision that anyone who listened to Francis' preaching would be severely punished. Francis' letter in January 1595 simply said: "Gentlemen, I have been preaching the word of God for some time now in your city. Your people can hear me only seldom and then only partially and in secret. For my part, in order not to overlook anything, I have seen to it that some of the more important fundamentals have been written down, fundamentals that I had chosen as the main theme of my sermons and talks in defense of the faith of the Church", and with that he set about producing 85 pamphlets which he posted at people's doors, or distributed through coffee houses and other public places.
Texts that I have read have placed the beginning of 'social media' as we know it today as 1776, when Thomas Paine, an English emigrant to the American colonies wrote an influential pamphlet called 'Common Sense'; in many ways he could be responsible for American independence and a nation-wide government structure. But there is little doubt that, as influential as 'Common Sense' was, Francis de Sales 'Controversies' predate Paine's 'Common Sense' by a long shot, and with more instant results. By 1598 the Duke of Savoy had written to the Papal Nuncio noting that in all the Chablais there was 'now no village or hamlet that was not Catholic'!
We Salesians, with the added support of a later pamphleteer of note (Don Bosco's 'Catholic Readings' were published as monthly pamphlets) have social media in our blood! Social media takes many forms, no need to list them all here - they are well known. And 'austraLasia' is part of the range of possibilities too.
Benedict XVI's term, 'digital continent', was either divinely inspired he was extremely well-advised, but he got in before John Blossom published his [[Content Nation]] (and yes, the square brackets are part of the title). There is little chance that the two were ever chatting about the subject! Blossom works out that if 27% of people who use social media do so to influence other people - his statistics are based on authoritative studies and polls - that would make a 'nation' that would fall in the top 10 most populated nations in the world!
All good reasons, from our own Salesian pedigree to a Papal shove forward, not to slacken our efforts, ever. And you may wish to comment on this item on one of our own EAO social media efforts to keep the conversation moving!
Click here to comment on this item, or here to assist with Glossary. You will need to enter 20eao02 when asked for a password.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2473
Subject and key words: EAO General Social Media
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2473
